Chile’s Sanctuary of Lo Vásquez

In the mostly Roman Catholic country of Chile, every year, tens of thousands of religious pilgrims make the 50-mile (80-km) trek from Santiago to the sanctuary of Lo Vásquez on December 7th and 8th. The thousands of people going to Mass at this large roadside sanctuary, walk or bike ride on the country’s second most used highway, which connects Santiago to Viña del Mar and Valparaíso. The church fills with thousands of pilgrims, and a half mile-long informal market forms on either side of the church, selling candles, rosaries and other religious and secular items.

People set off walking from Santiago the afternoon of the 7th, starting after the heat of the day has passed, and walk all night to arrive at the sanctuary the next day.Editor’s Note: This recommendation was taken from our Chile Things to Do blog. Visit the original post to continue reading the full post and to learn more about things to do in Chile.